Strawberry plant named ‘CIVRL333’

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘CIVRL333’. This new strawberry plant named ‘CIVRL333’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the low chill areas but it is also adapted for Northern European countries, Mediterranean and Subtropical areas. It is characterized by a plant with good vigor, upright habit and an excellent tolerance to most common diseases. The fruit is attractive with bright red color, regular shape and big size for the entire picking season and a very resistant skin even at high temperatures. The flesh is juicy, with sweet flavor and lovely aroma. The fruit is unique among the everbearer low chill varieties. Very early and long lasting picking season.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Fragaria xananassa.

Variety denomination: ‘CIVRL333’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry varietynamed ‘CIVRL333’.

The new strawberry ‘CIVRL333’ is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventors, Leis Michelangelo and Martinelli Alessio, inSan Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop a new everbearer strawberry variety withlow chill requirement, wide climatic adaptability and excellenttolerance to most common diseases. Furthermore, they wanted to get a neweverbearer low chill variety with very sweet flavor and lovely aroma.Lastly, the variety must be very early-season and lasting picking time.

This new strawberry ‘CIVRL333’ is a result of a controlled cross made bythe inventors in 2011, in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy.The female or seed parent is the not released selection of ConsorzioItaliano Vivaisti named R6R11-26. The male or pollen parent is the notreleased selection of Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti named 3E4L-1.

The new strawberry ‘CIVRL333’ was discovered and selected by theinventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross in 2013 in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy. After itsselection, the new variety was asexually propagated by stolons in anursery located in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy. The newvariety was tested over the next several years at Consorzio ItalianoVivaisti in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy and in differentEuropean areas with low chill conditions and high chill condition. Thispropagation has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivarreproduces true to type.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘CIVRL333’ is an everbearer strawberry variety with low chillrequirement but it has a wide climatic adaptability, from NorthernEuropean countries to Mediterranean and Subtropical areas.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘CIVRL333’, which in combinationdistinguish this strawberry plant as a new and distinct variety:

-   -   1. everbearer variety with low chill requirement;    -   2. wide climatic adaptability;    -   3. excellent tolerance to most common disease;    -   4. fruits with regular shape and big size for all the picking        season;    -   5. very resistant fruit skin;    -   6. bright red color of the fruits;    -   7. fruit with very sweet flavor, with lovely aroma, unique of        king among the everbearer low chill varieties; and    -   8. very early picking season and long lasting.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to the new strawberry variety ‘CIVRL333’ is thepatented strawberry variety Zafir property of Consorzio ItalianoVivaisti. Plants of the new strawberry variety ‘CIVRL333’ differ fromplants of strawberry variety Zafir in the characteristics described inTable 2:

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ ‘ZAFIR’ Plant: grow habit UprightSemi-upright Fruit: color Orange-red Medium red Type of bearing Dayneutral Fully remontant

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance oftypical specimens of the new strawberry variety ‘CIVRL333’, at variousstages of development as true as it is reasonably possible with colorreproductions of this type. Color in the photographs may differ slightlyfrom the color value cited in the botanical description which accuratelydescribe the color of ‘CIVRL333’. The depicted plant and plant parts ofthe new strawberry variety ‘CIVRL333’ were taken in San Giuseppe diComacchio (Ferrara), Italy, and are approximately 3 to 5 months old.

FIG. 1 shows typical plants of ‘CIVRL333’;

FIG. 2 shows typical flowers of ‘CIVRL333’;

FIG. 3 shows typical leaves of ‘CIVRL333’;

FIG. 4 shows typical fruits of ‘CIVRL333’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

‘CIVRL333’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The characteristics of the new variety may vary in detail,depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather(temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type andlocation.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the followingobservations, measurements and values describe the new strawberryvariety ‘CIVRL333’, unless otherwise noted, taken during the 2018growing season in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy. Theobservations, measurements and values were taken from plants of‘CIVRL333’ dug from a low-elevation nursery located in San Giuseppe diComacchio (Ferrara), Italy, during 2018 and planted approximately 4months later in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy. Plants ofthe new strawberry variety ‘CIVRL333’ were grown under conditions whichclosely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.

Yield observations and fruit quality characteristics are averaged from 2years of data collected from the 2017 through 2018 growing seasons.Flower measurements and characteristics are from secondary flowersunless otherwise noted. Fruit characteristics and measurements are fromsecondary fruit unless otherwise noted.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), 2001 edition, except where general colors of ordinarysignificance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditionsat approximately 10:00 in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy.The approximate age of the observed plants is 3 to 5 months.

The following tables 3-9 describe fruit, plant, stolon, foliage,fruiting truss, flower and pest/disease characteristics of the newstrawberry ‘CIVRL333’.

TABLE 3 FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Color of maturefruit Red (45A red group) Color of internal flesh Red (34B orange-redgroup) Length (cm) Average 4.4 cm Width (cm) Average 3.9 cm Ratiolength/width 1.12 Calyx diameter (cm) Average 4.7 cm Average weight (gm)Average 18.4 gm Achene color Yellow (154B yellow-green group) Number ofachenes About 6.3 achenes/cm² per cm² Marketable yield (gm/pit) Average700-800 gm/plt Size Large Predominant shape Conical Difference in shapesNone or very slight between primary and secondary fruit Band withoutachenes Absent or very narrow Unevenness of surface Even or very slightuneven Evenness of color Even or very slightly uneven Glossiness MediumInsertion of achenes Below the surface Insertion of calyx Level withfruit Attitude of the calyx Upwards Size of calyx in relation to Samesize fruit diameter Adherence of calyx Very strong Firmness of skin FirmFirmness of flesh Firm Distribution of red color Marginal and central ofthe flesh Hollow center expression Absent or weak Flavor Very sweet withlovely aroma Soluble solids (% brix) 8.8° Brix Time of first floweringEarly Time of first harvesting Early (first picking the 20^(th) of May,2019 in San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara), Italy) Harvest period Fromthe end of May to October Type of bearing Day neutral

TABLE 4 PLANT CHARACTERISTICS Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Height (cm)Average 28 cm Spread (cm) Average 35 cm Size Medium Habit UprightDensity Medium Vigor Strong

TABLE 5 STOLON CHARACTERISTICS Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Average numberAbout 30 stolons/mother plant in our nursery in per plant San Giuseppedi Comacchio (Ferrara) Italy Anthocyanin Red (178 B greyed-red group)coloration Anthocyanin Strong. The anthocyanin coloration is presentintensity along all the stolon. Diameter at Average 2.5 mm bract (mm)Pubescence Dense

TABLE 6 FOLIAGE CHARACTERISTICS Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Foliage: Colorof upper surface Green (137A green group) Color of underside Green (138Bgreen group) Shape in cross section Concave Interveinal blisteringMedium Glossiness Weak Number of leaflets Three (3). Terminal Leaflet:Length (cm) Average 12.7 cm Width (cm) Average 11.3 cm Length/widthratio 1.12 Serrations/leaf Intermediate Size Big Shape of base AcuteShape of teeth Serrate to crenate Petiole: Length (cm) Average 17 cmDiameter (mm) Average 4.9 mm Petiolule length (mm) Average 6.7 mmPubescence High Attitude of hairs Upright Stipule: Length (mm) Average28.6 mm Width (mm) Average 8.8 mm Anthocyanin coloration Low Color Red(63 A red-purple group)

TABLE 7 Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Length (cm) Average 27 cm Positionrelative to foliage Level with foliage Pubescence Strong Anthocyanincoloration Absent Attitude at first pick Outwards

TABLE 8 FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS Characteristic ‘CIVRL333’ Petal colorMature (upper) White (155 D white group) Mature (lower) White (155 Dwhite group) Petal shape Overall Rounded Apex Round Base Broad Petallength (mm) Average 11.8 mm Petal width (mm) Average 12 mm Petallength/width ratio 0.98 Number of petals/flower About 5 to 7 Sepalscolor Mature (upper) Green (141 A green group) Mature (lower) Green (138A green group) Sepal shape Overall Elliptic Apex Pointed Base Narrow tobroad Sepal length (mm) Average 14.3 mm Sepal width (mm) Average 6.6 mmSepal length/width ratio 2.2 Number of sepals/flower About 12 Corolladiameter (mm) Average 31.5 mm Calyx diameter (mm) Average 39 mm Size ofcalyx relative to Large corolla Relative position of petals Touching

TABLE 9 PEST AND DISEASE REACTIONS ‘CIVRL333’ shows excellent toleranceto most common diseases.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct strawberry plant named ‘CIVRL333’, asherein described and illustrated by the characteristics set forth above.